Regretting Gabriel
Page 22
I swallow. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
“If you weren’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t have had to.”
“Cady, I—”
She cuts me off by pressing her hand over my mouth. “Please don’t. Whatever you’re going to say that questions if we should be together holds no value, Gabriel. You need to hear me; you didn’t hurt me.”
“I did,” I mumble behind her hand.
She growls, and I bite the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from smiling at how adorable she is. Her other hand comes up, and she frames my face, and if I get nothing else from her, I have this. I’ll have this memory of her beauty so close that I can see the freckles on her nose and the specks of gold in her eyes. “You didn’t.”
“I did, but I know for sure that it’ll never happen again.”
“If you need to tell yourself that, then do it, but I already know that even though there is nothing to promise to never happen again.”
“I need to tell myself, and I need you to hear me.”
She licks her lips. “I hear you.”
“Never again.”
“Okay.”
“I love you.” That shuts her up. “I sat in that cell, yearning for you. For a glimpse, a touch, a fucking smile. I don’t know how to communicate that to you, Cady. I’ve always been a man of action, and all I want to do right now is make love to you. I want to be inside you again so you can feel what you do to me. I want to tell you without words that I need you.”
“Gabriel.”
“I need you, Cady. Do you have any idea what it takes for me to admit that? That I was so afraid I fucked this up that I was prepared to live the rest of my life like a monk without you because if I can’t have you, I don’t want anybody else.”
She swallows and cocks her head. “You have me. You had me since I was fifteen, and you didn’t know I was yours yet.”
I pull her head down, and our lips crash together, but we take our time exploring each other’s mouths. I separate us enough to look into her eyes. I still can’t believe she’s here, but if she’s willing to give a bastard like me another chance even though I don’t deserve it, I’ll take it. It needs to be said, and I need her to know how much it means to me that she’s willing to go the distance. “Thank you for forgiving me. I don’t deserve it, but I’ll take it.”
“I never got the chance to say this while looking into your eyes; thank you for saving me, Gabriel.”
My girl is so sweet, she’s so fuckin’ perfect, but she has no idea. “I might have protected you that night, but make no mistake Cady, you’re the one who saved me.”
Start the Reason to Ruin series with Justifying Jamie.
The first time I heard his cheesy pick-up line, he made me laugh. The next night, I fell madly in love. Then he shattered my world without speaking a word, leaving me with an empty heart and a hollow soul.
Still, I tried to fix what was broken, only to be humiliated beyond repair. I couldn’t believe the same man who promised me heaven so ruthlessly put me through hell with lips that once worshipped me.
I thought that was the end of us, but then a life-altering discovery threatened more than just me, and the least likely man to stand at my side was the one who refused to leave it.
To discover the next book in the Reason to Ruin series, Loving Liam, click here: annabrooksauthor.com/books/#ReasontoRuinSeries
To find out where it all started and to read about Liam and Meara’s beginning, check out the first book of the It’s Kind Of Personal series here: Make Me Forget
Check out Surface, Book 1 of the Guarding Her series today!
“I’ve had eyes on you all night, and ain’t nothin’ gonna change that, precious. This dress…” His fingertip slides across my bare belly, and I sway. “It shows so much skin, and all these horny little fuckers are just waiting to make their play for you. Nobody’s gonna touch this body while I’m around.”
I can’t move. Can barely breathe. It’s not like this is the first time he’s touched me… but it is the first time he’s touched me like this.
I jump when his hand touches my outer thigh. “So much skin. They’re dyin’ to get between your legs and see if the rest of you is just as soft.”
“Royce.” I… what? Beg, cry, whine. I don’t even know.
“Yeah?” His scruffy face rubs against my neck, and his lips caress the shell of my ear. “Say my name, baby.”
“Royce.”
His throat rumbles, and then he’s gone, leaving me a shivering mess. My throat tightens, and I put a hand to it, feeling my pulse throbbing against my palm. When I turn around, he’s closer than I expected. I don’t know what to say or even what I’m feeling. He dips his head and aligns our eyes but doesn’t speak. I can’t take the intensity, so I whisper, “Royce.”
His pupils flash, and his lips part. “That’s why I’m here.”
“What?”
He stands straight, over six feet of muscled man, and motions at my body. “‘Cause someone gives you a little bit of attention, and before you know it, you’ll be face down, ass up.”
I raise my arm to slap him, but he grabs my wrist. I try with the other one and end up with the same result.
“You don’t wanna hit me, Paisley.”
I struggle with him, but he’s so strong. “Yes, I do.”
“You hit me, and I’ll bend you over my knee.”
I gasp at his admission and lose any struggle I had. I drop my head so he won’t see the tears welling in my eyes. He releases my arms, and I shove him before I turn around and make my way back to the house. Just as I touch the doorknob, he reaches me.
“Shit, fuck. I’m sorry.” He stands right behind me, much like he did on the sidewalk.
“Just leave me alone.”
“Wish I could,” he whispers. Reaching around me, he pulls open the door, and just as I make my way into the house, he says, “It’d help if you weren’t so fuckin’ beautiful.”
I stop dead in my tracks and put my hands on my hips, then glare at him over my shoulder. “Yeah? Well, it’d help if you weren’t such a jerk.”
He has the nerve to show me his dimples. “Can’t wait for you to grow up, precious. It’s gonna be so good.”
Get Surface here
I can’t tell you how much fun I had writing Gabe and Cady’s book, and I really hope you enjoyed reading it. I am so in love with this band and their stories and can’t wait to bring you the rest of them.
Liam and Meara’s story will be next. And it’s gonna be a doozie, but I am so excited to share their heartbreaking journey with you.
Thank you for reading and be sure to follow me on Instagram for updates!
Xo,
Anna
Waste My Time—Saint Astonia
Alone In A Room—Asking Alexandria
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)—Bullet For My Valentine
Far Behind—Candlebox
Better Than Me—Hinder
The Reason—Hoobastank
Her Man—Gary Allen
Hush—Hellyeah
It’s Kind Of Personal Series
Make Me Forget
Show Me How
Prove Me Right
Tell Me When
Remember Me Now
Give Me This
It’s Kind of Personal Series Box Set
Pleasant Valley Series
Fixing Fate
Love, Me
Steady
Pleasant Valley Box Set
Standalones
Not Your Hero
Easy Sacrifice
Bulletproof Butterfly
Heartbreaker
Guarding Her Series
Surface
Drift
Edge
Closer
Roam
Hesitate
Reason to Ruin Series
Justifying Jamie
Regretting Gabriel
AUDIO:
It’s Kind Of Personal Series
Make Me Forget
Show Me How
Prove Me Right
Tell Me When
Remember Me Now
Give Me This
Pleasant Valley Series
Fixing Fate
Love, Me
Steady
Standalones
Not Your Hero
Easy Sacrifice
Bulletproof Butterfly
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The first time Anna tried to read a romance novel, her hair caught on fire when she leaned over a candle to sneak a peek at her mom’s Harlequin. She thinks being hit on the head with a shirtless Fabio until the smoke cleared is what sparked the flame for her love of romance.
Anna was born in Wisconsin, but currently lives in Texas with her husband and two boys. She writes sexy romance that always has a happy ending and loves bringing characters back for cameos. Less than six degrees of separation connects any of her novels.
When she’s not writing or reading, she’s watching reruns of her favorite romcoms, talking to her dog and cat like they’re human, eating carbs, or practicing hand lettering.
She loves to hear from readers and can be found on social media as @annabrooksauth everywhere or you can contact her from her website annabrooksauthor.com/contact.